Fire, a dual-edged phenomenon, holds the potential for both harm and benefit to individuals and ecosystems contingent on its location, timing, and manner of occurrence. The expansion of human civilization has positioned it as the main source of fire ignitions on the Earth, fundamentally altering natural fire regimes. Ecosystems exhibit different responses and susceptibilities to fire, with impacts varying based on specific ecosystem characteristics. Across the  Brazilian landscapes, distinct biomes such as Cerrado, Pampa, and Pantanal are classified as fire-dependent. In contrast, forest-dominated biomes like the Atlantic Forest and Amazon are deemed fire-sensitive, while the Caatinga, despite limited research on its historical fire relationship, is tentatively categorized as fire-independent.

Brazil has witnessed unprecedented wildfires in recent decades, with natural fire regimes undergoing modification due to human activities, frequently tied to land-use and its changes practices or exacerbated by climate extremes associated with global warming. In this context, our goal was to characterize the temporal patterns of fires in Brazilian biomes, using a burned area dataset obtained from the Global Fire Atlas (2003-2018). This dataset tracks the daily dynamics of individual fires, and our analysis focused on the burned area extent.

In Brazil, over the time series (2003-2018), the peak years regarding the extent of burned areas were 2010, 2007 and 2012, totalling 392,057 km², 382,163 km², and 249,596 km², respectively. 2010 and 2007 presented an increase of ~240% above the mean, while 2012 an increase of ~150% above the mean.

Regarding the intra-annual fire patterns, observations revealed that Fire-sensitive biomes, in the Amazon and Atlantic Forest, the fire season was well-defined in two months, specifically August and September, representing, on average, 55% (4,058 km²) and 40% (1,027 km²) of the total burned area, respectively. In the Fire-independent biome, Caatinga, the fire season was prominent in September and October, constituting 67% (436 km²) of the total burned area. In relation to Fire-dependent biomes, Cerrado and Pantanal exhibited a concentrated fire season in August and September, accounting for 57% (10,283 km²) in Cerrado and 68% (900 km²) in Pantanal. Finally, Pampa's fire season displayed a heterogeneous configuration over time, making it impossible to extract a specific pattern of fire season.

In general, August and September of 2010 were the months that presented the greatest extent of burned area in the time series, in almost all biomes, except Pantanal and Pampa. The occurrence of fires, often caused by human actions, also can be associated with mega-droughts and ocean circulations such as the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) event. The widespread occurrence of fires in 2010 can be attributed to the severe and unique drought that occurred as a consequence of the ENSO, affecting mainly Cerrado and Amazon.

In summary, the intensification of extreme events and the increase of fire source ignitions, even in fire-dependent environments, is affecting the Brazilian ecosystems, which presents distincts behavior and resilience in relation to fire events. Therefore, understanding the period of fire season is essential to develop command-and-control approaches and to fire prevention.

How to cite: Pereira de Medeiros, T., Joana Dutra, D., Domingos Ferro, P., Alves Leão, H., da Silva Magalhães, D., H. L. Silva-Junior, C., Tatiana Alvarado Romero, S., Sobral Escada, M. I., Oliveira e Cruz de Aragão, L. E., and Oighenstein Anderson, L.: Temporal patterns of burned area in the Brazilian biomes, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-1092, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-1092, 2024.

The Amazon biome is under constant pressure from deforestation and fire occurrence, one of the most active forest degradation processes. The advance of deforestation leads to the increase of forest edge effects. Thus, agricultural management based on slash-and-burn practices can lead to fire escaping into native vegetation, leading to forest degradation, impacting biodiversity, forest structure, carbon stocks and emissions. 

Maranhão state, located in northeastern Brazil and part of the Legal Amazon, encompasses a  transition from the Amazon rainforest to Cerrado. Attention to this region is urgent due to growing pressures related to fire and deforestation mainly within Protected Areas (PA), threatening the conservation and functioning of this unique ecosystem. An up-to-date spatial explicit diagnostic of disturbances such as fire, deforestation and edge effects is important for formulating protective measures for these areas.

Methodologies for quantifying Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions and removals, analyzing trends, attributing sources and sinks are key to support the establishment and reporting of national GHG inventories. Brazil has legal tools, like the National Climate Change Policy, aligned with Paris Agreement goals, emphasizing the Reduction of Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD+). Quantifying carbon losses from degradation is challenging due to uncertainties in estimating degraded forest areas and disturbance impacts. About 61% of carbon removals occur in protected native vegetation, yet estimates may be overestimated due to unaccounted forest degradation processes, like burn emissions from non-deforested native vegetation, untracked in National Inventories. These uncertainties, however, can be reduced by combining field measurements with an ever-increasing range of datasets and remote sensing methods. This study aims to enhance understanding of post-fire biomass growth dynamics and recovery potential, emphasizing the pivotal role of carbon removal by vegetation.

Our analysis covers the heterogeneous spatial and temporal patterns of vegetation growth in fire-degraded forests, where we combined a satellite dataset tracking fire disturbances with the fusion of 3 products widely used in other studies (MCD64A1, Fire_CCI and Mapbiomas Collection 2, fusion product with 30 m resolution), with a global above-ground biomass (AGB) product (Biomass_CCI, 100 m resolution) in a space-for-time substitution approach to model accumulated AGB as a function of the Years Since the Last Fire Disturbance (YSLF). 

Over 20 years of recovery (2001 - 2020), regeneration rates in areas degraded by forest fires ranged from 2 to 12% per year, totalling up to 80% biomass recovery, compared to old forests that were never burned. Degraded forests are most severely disturbed after the first YSLF, where AGB is reduced to 58% of the median AGB of old-growth forests (113.86 Mg/ha), resulting in a 42% loss of biomass. In 2016, fires breached Maranhão's protected areas for the first time in two decades. Even after a single fire event, the areas did not fully recover in terms of biomass, indicating a potential reduction in carbon storage capacity.

Extreme fire events amplify these occurrences, affecting protected areas and decreasing the carbon storage potential of forests. Urgent measures are needed to protect and restore these areas, recognizing the lasting impacts of forest fires on biodiversity, forest structure and carbon emissions.

How to cite: Leão, H., Dutra, D., Medeiros, T., Silva-Junior, C., Alvarado, S., Peripato, V., Silveira, M., De Freitas, A. L., Aragão, L., and Anderson, L.: Estimation of aboveground biomass recovery through chronosequence in forests degraded by fire in the Legal Amazon, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-1158, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-1158, 2024.

The Amazon Rainforest, crucial for climate regulation, carbon and water cycles, and biodiversity preservation, faces escalating threats from heightened forest degradation, including disturbances from fire and logging. In 2020, Brazil was responsible for a concerning 70% of the active fire hotspots detected in the Amazon, signaling a notable 60% increase compared to 2019. This surge has pushed the region into an extreme fire situation. Urgent and effective interventions are imperative to mitigate these extremes, ensuring the preservation of the Amazon and global climate stability. The study focuses on the Boca do Acre region in the southwest Amazon, one of the most recent hotspots of deforestation and forest degradation in the Amazon. We project the suitability of fire for 2030, following the timeframe set by the United Nations for the implementation of actions aimed at creating a better world for all peoples and nations through the Agenda 2030. Using the MAXENT algorithm within the R software, we conducted a detailed analysis exclusively within the non-forest land-use class on a 5 km x 5 km grid. Burned area data from products Fire CCI (250m), MapBiomas Fire (30m), and MODIS MCD64 (500m) were used to study fire occurrence across the study area. The chosen baseline year is 2014, representing the last year of historical data before the influence of different Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs) on IPCC models (1-2.6 and 3-7.0). The statistic involves the use of specifically selected variables, determined by their performance in correlation tests and principal component analysis. These variables encompass the percentage of forested areas, agriculture, pasture, and a 1000 m buffer along the region's roads. Additionally, factors such as the percentage of conservation unit occupancy, indigenous lands, and medium-sized properties (400-1000 ha) in the Rural Environmental Registry (CAR), along with precipitation values during dry months, are taken into account. Model validation incorporates AUC analysis, where the model must exhibit performance greater than 0.7, background analysis with the same curve behavior, false positive rate (FPR), accuracy evaluation, and sensitivity analysis. Following this process, we project the feasibility of fire for 2030. Results consistently demonstrate high performance, with AUC values surpassing 0.7 and pixel-to-pixel accuracy ranging from 60% to 90%, lower FRP values, and higher sensitivity values. Projected results indicate an increased susceptibility to fires that spread in the region, especially under less sustainable scenarios, emphasizing the urgency of preventive measures before 2030. Projections reveal an advancement in fire suitability, particularly in the SSP 3-7.0 scenario, with a significant increase in non-forest areas. However, as the scenario worsens, areas prone to fires that spread decrease due to the advancement of agricultural and pasture areas, underscoring the need for more sustainable practices. In conclusion, this study holds promise as a management tool for decision-makers, offering valuable insights for the development of mitigation and adaptation measures to climate change in the Boca do Acre region. These contributions are essential for preserving this vital ecosystem, highlighting the importance of implementing effective strategies.

How to cite: Dutra, D., Santos Junior, M., Ferreira, I., Cabral, B., Fearnside, P., Graça, P., Yanai, A., Dalagnol, R., Braga, D., Jones, C., Burton, C., Betts, R., Leão, H., Medeiros, T., Mataveli, G., Aragão, L., and Anderson, L.: Optimizing Fire Preparedness: A Forward-looking Analysis for 2030 in Boca do Acre Region, Brazilian Amazon, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-5700, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-5700, 2024.

Anthropogenic disturbances stand as the primary driver of degradation in the remaining Amazon forests, posing a significant threat to their future. Notable among these disturbances are edge effects, timber extraction, fire, extreme droughts and temperatures, which have been intensified by human-induced climate change. A pilot study aiming to integrate forest fire occurrence, timber extraction and climate change scenarios was developed for a new deforestation frontier in southwestern Amazonia. We integrated a series of remote sensing fire products, spatialized land tenure information, selective logging mapping techniques and Global Climate Models (GCMs) simulated projections of three SSPs (SSP climate forcing scenarios) for 2015–2100 period. The results showed that the increased deforestation trend occurred between 2003 and 2019 predominantly on public lands, following the implementation of the new forest code.  This surge contributed to a spike in fires, escalating from 66% to 84% in 2019. Over the period from 2007 and 2019, 2.4% of the primary forest was logged. By 2022, precipitation values aligned closely with SSP 5-8.5, and temperature values neared SSP 3-7.0. Projections for 2100 indicated an alarming increase of 5.19 ºC in overall temperature and a reduction of 55 mm in annual precipitation compared to 2003 baseline. The results indicate that the study region is already heading towards a less sustainable future. Logging activities, as well as agricultural production, are threatened by both increase in economic losses by fires and temperatures, and rainfall reduction. Implementing mitigation measures, such as fire-free land management, traceability controls for all wood production from logged forests, and addressing issues of land tenure and regulation are pivotal in steering the current development pathway towards a more sustainable pathway.

How to cite: Anderson, L., Dutra, D., Jones, C., Mataveli, G., Ferreira, I., Leão, H., Cabral, B., Fearnside, P., Graça, P., Yanai, A., Silva Junior, C., Medeiros, T., Dalagnol, R., Braga, D., Peripato, V., Burton, C., Betts, R., and Aragão, L.: Prediction of forest degradation as a subsidy for mitigating actions to preventing fires and wildfires in a new Amazonian frontier, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-6369, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-6369, 2024.

Wildfires are a global and catastrophic phenomenon, generating major impacts on soil characteristics, erosion, water flow and water quality at the watershed scale, among others. Such effects depend on the severity of the fire, a metric that depends on the intensity of the fire and the nature of the vegetation that is burning. During the last 60 years the average annual area burned in Chile due to wildfires has been approximately 65,000 hectares per year. This figure has been greatly surpassed in the last 5 years, averaging approximately 155,000 hectares per year. Although worldwide, especially in the United States and Europe, there is evidence of impacts on the quantity and quality of water from wildfires, this is not the case in Chile. Given the above, the objective of this work is to analyze the effects on water quantity and quality in burned and unburned watersheds in the Andes and Coastal Cordillera in southern Chile. Two native forest basins and two exotic plantation basins were studied, one burned and one unburned in each class. The native forest basins correspond to the Allipén River and Quepe River basins, located in the Andes Mountain range, while the exotic plantation basins are found in the Carampangue River basin, located in the Coastal Mountain range. The results indicate differences in nutrients (phosphorus and nitrogen) present in the water between burned and unburned watersheds during the rainy season.

How to cite: Stehr, A., Vyhmeister, N., Saenger, V., Villegas, P., and Duarte, E.: Effects of wildfires on water quantity and quality in southern Chile, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-8559, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-8559, 2024.

In September 2023, the Fire Learning AcRoss the Earth Systems (FLARE) workshop brought together fire scientists across a wide range of disciplines, including physical and social scientists and representatives of fire-prone communities, with the aim to facilitate a transdisciplinary discussion.

The FLARE community identified characterizing “fire and extreme events” as a research priority. In recent years, there has been a rise in extreme weather events worldwide. Both in science and in the media, the word “extreme” is increasingly used to describe the impact of natural phenomena on ecosystems, human health, the carbon cycle, and economies. However, the severity associated with recent changes in fire activity is not well defined. Assessing the cause(s) and consequences of a fire event on a global scale is complex, this leads to different definitions and assessment techniques/methods being used in the range of disciplines that study fire, including ecology, biology, hydrology, atmospheric science, marine science, Earth science, or public health. Additionally, it is hard to disentangle human land management and climate change induced changes in fire regimes.

Using examples from the 2023 Boreal fires, this presentation discusses future directions for defining extreme fires. Fires are also part of the broader interconnected Earth System and influenced by droughts, heat waves, and altered landscapes. In turn, post-fire effects such as erosion, landslides, and floods create cascade events that impact both human societies and natural ecosystems. We discuss this broader view of including fire extremes as part of compound extreme events in order to fully assess their impact. We finish by providing recommendations for the fire science community to tackle this challenge. Some of which may include more proactive modeling, observation and communication tools aimed at providing relevant and timely information.

https://futureearth.org/2023/12/13/reflections-from-the-fire-science-learning-across-the-earth-system-flare-workshop/

How to cite: Liguori-Bills, N., Perron, M., Plummer, S., Voelker, C., Vannière, B., Hall, J., Forkel, M., Dintwe, K., Santin, C., Morrill, M., Thoreson, J., Poulter, B., Jones, M., Kelley, D., Burton, C., Hantson, S., and Hamilton, D.: The FLARE Workshop's Future Directions for Defining Extreme Fire, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-12863, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-12863, 2024.

In recent years, the world has witnessed a surge in "extreme" fire events, with notable occurrences in regions like California and Australia, where their disproportionate impacts have been evident. However, the term "extreme fire" lacks a standardized definition, leading to a diverse and ambiguous usage. To address this, we utilize the MODIS burnt area record spanning 2002-2022 to systematically identify extreme fire years across diverse ecoregions worldwide. Our analysis detects most of the reported events in developed regions, but also additional extreme fire occurrences in less developed areas.

While global fire models are commonly employed to estimate the overall impact of fires on a global scale, their ability to accurately represent extreme events remains uncertain. To assess this, we compare extreme events identified in the MODIS time series with simulations from six global fire models participating in FireMIP. The results reveal variations in model performance, with some models accurately simulating extreme events in burnt area while others exhibit limitations.

Our findings highlight biases in reporting on extreme events and underscore the importance of a quantitative identification framework. Additionally, our analysis suggests that certain global fire models hold promise for studying extreme fire events. This research contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of global fire dynamics and impacts.

How to cite: Hantson, S., Obando Cabrera, L., and Forrest, M.: Global Extremes in Burnt Area, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-13017, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-13017, 2024.

We, the fire science community (and friends), are increasingly asked to provide information about drivers and the impact of fire and make fire projections under future climate and land use change. While the current generation of fire models has skill at modelling certain aspects of global fire regimes, many uncertainties remain. Most models struggle to represent extreme fires and often disagree over future changes in burning. We are collating information on good practices of fire model applications that consider or robustly reduce these uncertainties. These include single or multi-global fire model output, and new and novel modelling and statistical techniques, either in isolated studies or larger projects that contain multiple studies.

The aim is to provide a guide to using fire models for science and policy and a roadmap for development pathways. Thereby moving the community forward to help answer some of the urgent fire-related questions in our changing world. We aim to highlight the fantastic work of many in the community at designing and implementing robust scientific integrity in their analysis. Excellent work already identified often involves tailored modelling and evaluation techniques for specific questions, developing ways to quantify uncertainty, and statistical methods to extract relevant information from models based on historical performance. But there is certainly more we don’t know about!

Can you tell us how and when fire model evaluation has helped inform or adapt a research question? How do you account for fire model uncertainties? We especially want to hear from you if you're unsure or don't think your research is entirely relevant. Maybe we've missed that vital aspect of fire science!? 

To contribute, fill out the questionnaire, jam board, or request an interview at https://forms.gle/NJPEShq6V1ky3Dbv5. Or come talk to us at EGU and fill out our interactive poster!

How to cite: Kelley, D. I., Burton, C., New, S., Taylor, I., Mathison, C., Teixeira, J., Lampe, S., Bradley, A., Robertson, E., Parker, R., Hantson, S., Barbosa, M. L. F., Folberth, G., Burke, E., Jones, C. D., Shuman, J., Foster, A., and Forrest, M.: Community input for a how-to guide for using fire models., EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-15606, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-15606, 2024.

Fires have been a natural component of Mediterranean ecosystems for centuries, contributing to their ecological balance. However, they also release significant amounts of smoke and various pollutants like carbon monoxide, methane, nitrous oxide, nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds, and particulate matter (PM). The emissions not only compromise air quality but also pose a threat to human health, particularly for those with chronic heart and lung diseases. These impacts have been largely studied in the United States and in neighboring countries, while in the Euro-Mediterranean continent the studies available on the patterns of wildfires and fire emissions are more limited. However, the increase in the frequency of large fires recorded in recent years, especially in southern Europe and often close to inhabited centers, urges the scientific community to investigate on the impact of these events on air quality and human health at European level as well.

This study examines six large fires (>2000 ha) in Sardinia, Italy, over the past fifteen years, with the main aims to (i) characterize the six forest fires in term of size, fuel, and weather conditions; (ii) estimate the contribution of the six forest fires to environmental PM levels.

Meteorological conditions at synoptic scale have been investigated through NCEP Climate Forecast System Reanalysis (CFSR) data with a spatial resolution of 0.5° x 0.5° and maps of 850 hPa temperature and airmasses from WetterZentrale (https://www.wetterzentrale.de/). The impacts on particulate matter on air quality has been evaluated through data obtained from the monitoring stations of the Air quality control network of the Regional Environment Protection Agency of Sardinia (ARPAS).  To further investigate the impacts of the fire plumes, the study employs the HYSPLIT (hybrid single-particle Lagrangian integrated trajectory) model developed by NOAA’s Air Resources Laboratory to compute the forward trajectories of air masses. Finally, for selected recent fires, the plume spatial distribution has been investigated and verified using Modis satellite images on board the Aqua satellite as well as the visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) Corrected Reflectance imagery on board the joint NASA/NOAA Suomi National Polar orbiting Partnership (Suomi NPP) satellite.

Preliminary findings reveal varying degrees of correlation between air quality and fire events in the six examined cases. This variability could be attributed to different fuel types, atmospheric conditions, and, to a significant extent, the location and density of air monitoring stations.

How to cite: Pellizzaro, G., Bacciu, V., Scarpa, C., Arca, B., Salis, M., Casula, M., and Canu, A.: Understanding the impact of large fires in air quality in a Mediterranean area, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-16612, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-16612, 2024.

During the last decades, Greece has experienced a range of natural hazards, with three significant events occurring in the wider Attica region. Notably, these include the Athens earthquake that took place on September 7, 1999, the flash flood of Mandra that unfolded on November 15, 2017, and the wildfires that happened on July 23, 2018, in Mati. Among these, wildfires stand out as particularly detrimental disasters provoking numerous fatalities, which have an intense presence within the Attica region according to the FireHub Web Service provided by the Operational Unit “BEYOND” Centre of the National Observatory of Athens. This stems from a persistent urban sprawl over the years throughout the region that leads to an unwavering invasion of urban and suburban infrastructures into wildland areas containing typical Mediterranean vegetation, and as a result, heightens the vulnerability of human lives and properties to a fire-prone environment. Furthermore, most of the suburban areas in the broader Attica region are characterized by uncontrollable urban planning, numerous dead ends, inaccessible seafronts, insufficient installation of firefighting equipment, accumulation of fuels in both private properties and public spaces, and in most cases poor road network quality. This precarious combination of factors exacerbates the risk and impact of wildfires, posing serious challenges to the safety and well-being of the community and underscores the urgent need for comprehensive and strategic protection measures. Considering the necessity to efficiently prevent any loss in human and built environments due to the aforementioned destructive hazards and the region’s characteristics, the Region of Attica funded a research project where fire, seismic, and flood risk was estimated. Within the context of fire risk assessment, evacuation plans were created given the fact to inhibit any fatalities in the likelihood of a forest fire event. The evacuation plans are based on extensive field investigations which brought about insights related to human and physical geographical elements (e.g. topography, land use/land cover, road network density) of each area of interest. The research identified the total number of dead ends, the vehicle escape routes, points of traffic congestion, and polygons representing the order of areas to be evacuated, taking into account the incoming direction of a possible fire front. Moreover, the main routes of evacuation for pedestrians were traced in conjunction with the points of public gathering. Lastly, a variety of recommendations are provided in light of the hotspots that need immediate intervention in order to counter a severe fire event. The primary objective of this research is to present and evaluate the proposed evacuation risk management plans in selected municipalities, as well as, to highlight the most vulnerable areas in terms of capacity through maps.

Acknowledgments

This research work was developed under the national research project “Seismic, Fire and Flood Risk Assessment in Attica Region, Greece”, funded by the Region of Attica, led and coordinated by the Operational Unit “BEYOND Centre of Earth Observation Research and Satellite Remote Sensing” of the Institute for Astronomy, Astrophysics, Space Applications and Remote Sensing, of the National Observatory of Athens, Greece.

How to cite: Tsoutsos, M.-C., Stasinos, N., Zoka, M., Kokkalidou, M., Girtsou, S., Stathopoulos, N., and Kontoes, C.: Comparative assessment of evacuation capacity of selected fire prone areas in Attica region, Greece, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-17187, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-17187, 2024.

Extreme wildfires have a disastrous impact on society and the natural environment. Wildfires are prone in areas with fuel built up and desiccated over time. A warmer and drier climate will lead to an increase in the risk of extreme fires. 
    This study quantifies how the risk of extreme fires is conditioned on potential temperature and precipitation changes. Our results indicate that large areas of southern Europe could experience a tenfold increase in the probability of catastrophic fires occurring any given year under a moderate CMIP6 scenario. If global temperatures reach the +2 C threshold, central and northern Europe will also become more susceptible to wildfires during droughts. The increasing probability of fire extremes in a warming climate, in combination with an average one-week extension of the fire season across most countries, is expected to strain Europe's ability to cope in the forthcoming decades.

How to cite: Wetterhall, F., El Garroussi, S., and Di Giuseppe, F.: A Tenfold Increase in Extreme Fires  expected in Europe under a warming climate  , EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-19850, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-19850, 2024.

How to cite: Vásquez, S., Carrión, B., Torres, R., and Vázquez, Y.: Forest fire severity estimation in 2023 in UNESCO Global Geopark Imbabura with the impact review at the archaeological heritage in the geosite “Yachay Archaeological Sites”   , EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-12036, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-12036, 2024.

The escalating threat of wildfires in North America raises significant concerns regarding their adverse effects on air quality and public health, as recent wildfires have resulted in widespread smoke plumes that transcend international borders. This study focuses on the exposure of the North Atlantic region to smoke from Canadian wildfires, underscoring the profound implications for public health and environmental well-being. To assess the air quality impact, we analyze satellite data obtained from the NASA Atmospheric Science Data Center (ASDC) at Langley Research Center, in conjunction with ground-based measurements and atmospheric modeling outputs. Specifically, we investigate  concentrations of atmospheric aerosols, notably PM2.5 particulate matter originating from Canadian wildfires, dispersion patterns, and the duration and intensity of smoke events affecting the North Atlantic. Utilizing data from multiple instruments — including those from the Earth Polychromatic Imaging Camera (EPIC), the Cloud-Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization (CALIOP Lidar), and Measurement of Pollution in the Troposphere (MOPITT) — strengthens the conclusions drawn from the impact assessment and estimation of aerosol loading. Ground-based measurements, including data from air quality monitoring stations, provide localized information for validation and calibration purposes.

The study's findings enhance understanding of the repercussions of Canadian wildfires on air quality in the North Atlantic region, underscoring the necessity of monitoring and prediction of transboundary smoke events through the integration of data from diverse sources, such as those provided by the ASDC. This information is pivotal for policymakers, public health officials, and residents in affected areas to formulate effective strategies in mitigating health risks associated with wildfire smoke and improving air quality during wildfire seasons. The study emphasizes the critical role of atmospheric remote sensing, particularly the use of ASDC data, in addressing the challenges posed by wildfires and their consequences on regional scales.

How to cite: Mahmoud, H., Garcia-Solera, I., Kaufman, D., Radkevich, A., and Baskin, W.: Impact of Canadian Wildfires 2023 on North Atlantic’s Region Air Quality: An Analysis Using ASDC Data, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-12769, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-12769, 2024.